life & death
by recluse-writes
Summary: Death is secretly in love with Life. He purposely hides and watches her from afar. She never fails to come, to bid farewell to her creations. Where her tears fall, plants emerge and thrive. Flowers bloom in her wake. He is absolutely taken with her. One day, when he releases the spirit of her favorite tree, she calls out to him.


A/N: happy new year, my friends! thank you all for your patience with momentum, the next chapter is still in the works but i have come to deliver a one shot that i just could not get out of my head

as always, i love feedback and hope you let me know what you think! :)

* * *

No.

Any tree but this one; this one was her favorite.

When she wasn't busy tending to the many creatures she brought into the world, she was here, perched on the cherry tree's thick branches and reveling in the beauty of nature.

Winter was the best time to come, as the tree's light pink, almost white, flowers were in bloom. Things were quieter for her in the winters, so she visited as often as she could - she was fascinated with the dance of petals as they drifted to the snow-covered ground.

(Incidentally, it was one of his busiest seasons.)

The harsh, mechanical whirring of chainsaws brought him back to the present situation.

Humans were cutting down her favorite tree and he could do nothing but wait until its soul was free from the vessel.

He felt the prickle of impatience. He knew she would arrive, she did for every one of her children.

It was inevitable.

The whirring continued until the massive trunk fell in a deafening crash, its branches shaking and cracking from the impact.

A ghostly version of the tree materialized where its physical body once stood, tall and beautiful, now wispy and opaque.

He touched the volatile form and it dissipated slowly, leaving a rain of transient flower petals in its wake.

As mesmerizing as the display was, he needed to leave. She would be there soon.

He retreated into the forest, staying until the humans were long gone and the sun was swallowed by the horizon.

Eventually, a barely visible glow became present near the stump of the cherry tree. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought it to be a firefly. But the light grew and from it, a luminous figure materialized.

Ah, there she was - the embodiment of life.

His counterpart.

He would never grow tired of seeing her, watching her celebrate her creations as they came into the world, and how she mourned them when they passed.

She gave and he took, and together, they balanced the universe.

His only regret was that he had to do so from afar. They had great history between them, but he feared that she would grow to resent him for his duty.

Thus, he pushed her away before that could happen.

Despite his attempts at distance, it seemed he was tethered to her. He was compelled to keep watch over her from a distance.

It was illogical. Nonsensical.

She didn't need protecting. They were immortal beings and could not be influenced by worldly dangers.

He supposed… he supposed he felt a strong connection towards her, the only other being that has been a constant in this never ending existence.

A sigh escaped him, a very human-like action that displayed nostalgia, longing, fatigue. He always got like this when he thought about her.

Unable to get her out of his conscious, he continued to observe her instead.

She sat near the remains of the tree, running her hand over the fresh, exposed wood and leaving soft moss and ferns on the surface.

Her back was turned to him, so he could not see her face, but she must have been crying. The sudden bloom of lavender orchids in the dirt beneath her betrayed her tears. She was grieving, as he expected she would.

Seeing her in pain tugged at him. It made him wish he did not have to take away the things she loved so dearly.

"Sasuke."

Her gentle voice rang as clear as a bell and he was taken back.

He hadn't heard his true name spoken aloud in millennia. It was forgotten with time, as people began to see death as an omen, rather than a god.

Not to mention the fact that they hadn't spoken in years, possibly centuries. It was hard to keep track when the concept of time was inconsequential.

She rose to her full height, nearly rivaling the surrounding trees, and turned around - her eyes as piercing as he remembered… Pale and iridescent, they rooted him in place.

Her step was light; the only indication of her presence were the emerging sprouts beneath her bare feet as she approached.

He waited in anticipation for her to strike out at him. To tell him off, anything. He expected her to do anything but embrace him.

The touch sent a shock through his system. She was so _warm_. Like the first rays of sun after a long, treacherous night.

His arms lay prone at his side, the sheer intensity of feeling overwhelmed him and rendered him motionless.

"I don't resent you for what you do."

Pulling back (much to his dismay), she stared deeply into his eyes. So much so that it seemed she was peering into his soul. If he had one, that is.

She had missed his eyes the most. They were endlessly black, much like The Beyond from which they were born. But there was so much more in those irises - there were millions of pin pricks of light shining in them; stars, she thought. Or maybe the souls that he helped release.

"I have accepted you and your duty long ago… You mustn't feel guilty about it," her tone conveyed genuine emotion, "You have to put these beings at rest so I can bring new ones in."

She smiled, enhancing her already brilliant glow, as she stroked his cheek. Small, delicate flowers were left in the wake of her touch, blossoming briefly before decaying into dust.

"It is a necessary and beautiful cycle."

He tentatively brought his own hand to her cheek and mirrored her actions, marveling at the sensation of touch.

They were ethereal, unable to interact with anything on the physical plane. As one can imagine, this led to a very lonely existence.

"I've missed you," he breathed, his voice cracking from misuse.

"Hinata, I've missed you so much."

Her smile became forlorn and she took hold of his hands, gripping them firmly.

"I'm right here." She stepped in closer, until they were mere inches apart. "I always have been."

Although he had been around since the beginning of time, he was no good with expressing himself. So he pulled her close, tucking her form into his, and hoped she understood.

Her arms wrapped around him in return and he could feel her let out a deep exhale. It was the sigh of relief from someone who came home after a long trip.

'She did,' he thought.

She always seemed to understand him.

* * *

Some days, he felt damned. He would wonder why he was stuck performing this thankless job for eternity.

But in this moment, he was grateful. For the countless centuries he spent loathing this existence, he finally found something that was worth it. And he would hold on to it as long as he possibly could - until the sun burned out and rendered everything obsolete, or until the universe finally caved in on itself.

Because they were Life and Death.

They were meant for each other.


End file.
